Scrap metal recycling offers multiple advantages. To begin with, scrap metal recycling helps with limiting the need for manufacturing new metals and this, in turn, will help mitigate environmental pollution. Secondly, depending on the scrap yard you take your salvaged metals, you could make some money from scrap metal recycling. Additionally, scrap metals are in abundance in the environment so you do not have to scour your neighbourhood to collect a substantial amount. Nonetheless, scrap metal recycling is not merely about taking items that contain metals to the scrap yard. Check out the following three steps you can take if you want to make the most of scrap metal recycling.
Step 1: Get rid of any grime on the metal scraps
What you may not know about scrap metal merchants is that they will value your scrap metal depending on the grade. The less residue on the metal, the higher the grade. With that in mind, you should take your time to eliminate any forms of grime that could be on your scrap metal. Most commonly, this dirt will comprise rust, grease and so on. It is also worth noting that you do not need to spend hours on end in an attempt to restore the vibrancy of the metal. A better option would be to purchase a metal cleaner. As a safety measure, you must always wear protective gear in the form of gloves to prevent cuts.
Step 2: Eliminate materials that do not contain any metals
Not all scrap metals will be made completely out of metal supplies. Hence, when you collect items that are made up of metal as well as other materials, it is best to get rid of the non-metal parts before you visit scrap yards. Cabling, for example, is a popular source of scrap metals since it can contain copper wires. But while copper wires are highly valued, the insulating materials surrounding the copper could reduce the amount of money that you could make from your scrap metal. Hence, stripping away the insulating supplies is paramount to make the most of scrap metal recycling.
Step 3: Separate the different types of metals
While there is a multitude of metals that you can collect when planning to visit a scrap yard, you should know that they are broadly categorised as either ferrous or non-ferrous. Although scrap metal merchants can separate these metals on their own, you should bear in mind that the more effort required to sort your scrap metal, the less money that it will fetch. Thus, it is advisable to separate these metals on your own. Fortunately, you can do this easily with a magnet since ferrous metals will be attracted to the magnet whereas non-ferrous metals will not be.
Share29 September 2021
Hi, my name is Christine. About a year ago, I left the city and moved to a remote corner of Australia. I noticed that while surrounded by natural beauty and peace, I was missing several amenities, and one of these was access to recycling. As a result, I started figuring out ways to expand recycling in remote areas. I also started researching how to advocate for bringing it to these areas and educating citizens about the importance of how it helps. If you want to learn about recycling, what it does, and why it can be hard to find in some areas, you need to explore my blog. Enjoy reading!
